


The Meaning Of Love

by Snugglebuttkitten



Series: A Thousand Lifetimes Loving You [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Divine Judgement, Divine Punishments, Emma Agreste - Freeform, F/M, Fluff, Major Illness, Married Life, Partner Betrayal, Past Ladybug Characters, Past Miraculous Holders, Poor Life Choices, Post Hawkmoth, adrienette - Freeform, divine intervention, hugo agreste - Freeform, louis agreste - Freeform, married with kids
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 22:50:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17713142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snugglebuttkitten/pseuds/Snugglebuttkitten
Summary: Marinette stared at the doctor and she felt numb. Beside her, she could hear her mother's soft sobbing and her father's ragged breathing, but she could do nothing to comfort them in her frozen state. Stage 4 Lung Cancer. Uncurable. Her father would have months to live, at most. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Marinette forced the words plaguing her up and out of her throat, ignoring how raspy they sounded in her ringing ears. "Is there anything we can do?" All she needed was a confirmation that hope was possible, and she would be okay. She would be able to fight whatever this is with all the strength and determination she had gained over the past two decades of being Ladybug. Unfortunately, the doctor retained his sorrowful, apologetic look and the pity in his gaze was unmistakable."I'm sorry. My only suggestion is to pray for a miracle." He said. Marinette closed her eyes, feeling the tears bubble up and burn at her eyes. Excusing herself, she rushed from the room, ignoring the calls of her parents. Out in the hall, she slammed the door behind her and collapsed to the cold linoleum, sobbing. A miracle. Where would they find a- Sobs quieting, the young woman looked up as slowly, an idea took hold.





	The Meaning Of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Ladyloves and Heartthrobs](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17696675) by [AliceUpdate](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliceUpdate/pseuds/AliceUpdate). 



> For full plot, read the series explanation. This will be a series of short stories (a few chapters each) depicting a choice Marinette was forced to make, betraying her husband and partner in the process, and the steps she must take to fix that mistake.
> 
> This was inspired by AliceUpdate's newest story "Ladyloves and Heartthrobs" which I highly recommend reading, but it is in no way connected to that story. I've seen many AUs where Ladybug and Chat are enemies and it's typically because Chat finds out his dad is Hawkmoth and joins him to save his mom. So it got me thinking... what if we swap that premise. What if Marinette had to turn on Chat Noir to save someone she cared about? This is kind of what I came up with lol
> 
> PLEASE NOTE THAT THE FIRST STORY IS LITERALLY MEANT TO SET EVERYTHING UP SO YOU MIGHT NOTICE THE CHAPTERS ARE INSANELY SHORT. THIS IS ON PURPOSE. 'THE MEANING OF LOVE' HAS THE SOLE PURPOSE OF WORLDBUILDING THE SERIES, SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO DELVE INTO AN INSANE AMOUNT OF DETAIL IN THE OTHER STORIES IN THIS SERIES.

At thirty-five years old, Marinette Agreste could, without a doubt, say that she had her life all figured out. She was a successful designer working for her father-in-law and was currently being groomed to eventually take over his company when he inevitably retired in the next decade or so. She had an amazing relationship with her parents, who still ran the insanely popular bakery on 12 Rue Gotlib street, and was still best friends with Alya Lahiffe, her best friend since middle school. She had a loving husband, Adrien, that she had been in love with since she was fourteen, had been dating since she was sixteen, and whom she had married at eighteen when she was fresh out of high school and undeniably, hopelessly,  _ stupidly _ in love. A husband that she could, without a doubt,  _ still _ say she was undeniably, hopelessly,  _ stupidly _ in love with, even after seventeen years of marriage. That same husband also happened to double as her superhero partner, Chat Noir, although they had long since retired from active hero work. With the retirement of Hawkmoth, there was little need for them to don their masks. 

From their marriage, Marinette and Adrien had brought three beautiful children into this world. Emma, Louis, and Hugo Agreste. Emma was the oldest at fifteen-years-old, with blue-black hair worn longer than her mother had ever permitted her hair to grow, and electric green eyes that could immobilize a person with a single glare. Like her mother, Emma dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, though her style was admittedly more edgy and punk rock than her mother’s and grandfather’s styles would ever be. Louis was the middle child, eleven-years-old and sharp as a tack. He not only possessed his father’s thick, honey blonde hair and his mother’s bluebell eyes, but also his father’s sharp wit, love for puns, and his intelligence. At his age, he was already top of his class with a particular love for the sciences. Last, but certainly not least, little Hugo Agreste. The youngest of the Agreste Children, Hugo was nine-years-old and a near spitting image of his father. Honey blonde hair and electric green eyes, his nature was sweet and sensitive and even at his age, he dreamed of taking over his grandparents bakery one day.

Marinette and her family were blessed enough to have been able to afford a decent plot of land just outside the city limits, where they had a house built to their specifications. A two story ranch style house with a wrap around porch and room enough for their family to grow, if that is where life led them. But for now, it was home to a close-knit family, three dogs, a cat, and a hamster, and two very loved and spoiled Kwami, enjoying their retirement just as much as their Miraculous Holders were. Yes, Marinette was quite certain her life was right on track for where she had expected it to go all those years ago when she was just an infatuated teenager with a dream. Unfortunately, life has a funny way of throwing wrenches into even the most well-thought-out plans, and when the call came one sunny summer afternoon that her father was in the hospital, Marinette had the feeling that all her careful planning was about to come crashing down. She didn’t realize then, as she rushed to the hospital, how right she would turn out to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!


End file.
